New $30.4 mil research programme to develop sustainable construction technologies
Industry testing of low-carbon concrete and AI-powered design tools could accelerate adoption, potentially reducing material use and operational costs across Singapore’s built environment sector.
A $30.4 million, three-year research programme was launched to develop sustainable construction technologies targeting embodied-carbon reductions of up to 40% by 2029.
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A $30.4 million research programme — involving a consortium of Woh Hup, Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and A*Star — has been launched to develop sustainable construction technologies and strengthen Singapore’s built environment sector.
This was announced at the Construction Technology Innovation Laboratory’s (CTIL) annual seminar at the SIT Punggol campus on Oct 1.
The three-year programme is supported by the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 (RIE2025) plan, a five-year national plan aimed at strengthening research and development in Singapore.
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The programme brings together the three consortium partners and seven other industry partners.
Industry partners will contribute project sites, operational expertise and validation environments to test and refine the technologies under actual construction conditions and accelerate their adoption across the sector.
Chiew Sing Ping, head of CTIL at SIT, noted that the built environment sector is facing increasing pressure to reduce embodied carbon while improving productivity and resource efficiency.
Lim Keng Hui, assistant chief executive of the Science and Engineering Council at A*Star, added: “Addressing sustainability challenges in the built environment requires innovation across advanced materials, engineering and AI-enabled optimisation.”
The programme comprises seven research projects focused on areas such as scaling up ultra-low embodied carbon concrete for wider industry adoption, and developing AI-powered design tools to help engineers optimise structural designs for lower embodied carbon, cost and material use.
By 2029, the consortium aims to reduce embodied carbon in urban development applications of new technologies by up to 40% compared with conventional construction methods.
It also seeks to create new business opportunities and deliver operational cost savings for industry partners.
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Beyond research, the programme will support talent and capability development through the training of undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as applied research opportunities for research staff in collaboration with industry partners.
Industry professionals will also have opportunities to build their capabilities through specialised training, industry attachments and technical seminars.
Yong De-Rhong, executive director at Woh Hup, said: “Our partnership with SIT, A*Star and industry partners gives us the opportunity to co-develop solutions that are not only innovative, but also practical and scalable for the construction industry.”